Why is it in the news?

• The Annual Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Atlas of India is released by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to systematically examine land utilization patterns and provide insights into environmental dynamics.

Key highlights of the Atlas

• Agriculture: Over the past 17 years, both Kharif and Rabi cropland have expanded significantly, by 46.06% and 35.23% respectively, while fallow land decreased by 45.19%. Areas for double/triple/annual cropping have increased by 82.22%.
• Shifting cultivation: Increased until 2016-17 and then declined.
• Water resources: Minimum water body surface area increased by 146% since 2005.
• Built-up land: Experienced a 30.77% overall growth since 2005, attributed to urbanization, infrastructure development, and an increase in wastelands contributing significantly.
• Wastelands: Degraded and unproductive lands played a significant role in built-up area expansion, contributing 12.3% to the growth.
• Reasons for changes in LULC include improved availability of farm inputs such as irrigation facilities, urbanization, and infrastructure development.